More than 30 years ago, young people across the country staged sit-ins for civil rights, got up and protested against a misguided, undeclared war, and actually gave a damn if a president lied to them. Although a lot has changed since then, there are still racial divides, and America is once again mired in a largely controversial war. Back in the 1060s and 70s, a similar climate motivated great numbers of young people to act, organized, and take to the streets in defiance. Today it seems as if younger Americans are content to watch their MTV, fiddle with their game players, follow the love lives of Brad, Jen, Jessica, and Paris, and assume the hard work is being done for them by others. What has changed? Is it simply that we do not have the motivating factors such as a draft of or Kent State to bring us together, to anger us? What is going on inside the minds of American youth today ?
The 2005 Vanity Fair Essay Contest
Sponsored by Montblanc
In 1,500 words or fewer, explain what is on the minds of America's youth. The grand prize is $15,000 a week at a writer's retreat in Tuscany, and a Montblanck Meisterstuck 149 fountain pen. Second prize is $5,000 and a Montblanc Boheme fountain pen. Third prize and a Montblanc StarWalker Fine Liner. Allentrries must be received no later than September 30, 2005. For details, rules, and conditions, please visit http://www.vanityfair.com/
The 2005 Vanity Fair Essay Contest
Sponsored by Montblanc
In 1,500 words or fewer, explain what is on the minds of America's youth.
The grand prize is $15,000 a week at a writer's retreat in Tuscany, and a Montblanck Meisterstuck 149 fountain pen. Second prize is $5,000 and a Montblanc Boheme fountain pen. Third prize and a Montblanc StarWalker Fine Liner. Allentrries must be received no later than September 30, 2005. For details, rules, and conditions, please visit http://www.vanityfair.com/
1 comment:
The particular wording of the question triggers many reactions, most more interesting than the topic it raises. Like your friend in Turkey, I
have only some second hand clues as to what's on someone's mind; but
from my memory of the 50's and 60's and 70's, I think I can safely say
that what was on people's minds in the 60's was a lot much more than
the quick sketch they suggest ...
Probably the number one thing on our minds back then was sex, drugs,
and rock-and-roll. The beatles and woodstock outdrew most
demonstrations; the summer of love was only peripherally about the war
in VietNam.
More interesting, what was happening was not just "American" but
"World" ... Paris, Berlin, Beijing ... and not just "Youth" ... MLK,
Benjamin Spock, even Bertrand Russel, were not spring chickens. Even
Pope John XXIII was into the "fresh air" movement.
Even the chronology presented seems a bit vague. Google can help with
the dates that come to my mind:
1954, Fannie Lou Hamer, Montgomery Bus Boycott
1954, Brown vs. Board of Education
1955, Montgomery, Rosa Parks,
1055, New York, Dorthy Day arrested for having a picnic during air
raid rehearsal
1958, Gerald Holtom designed CND "Ban the Bomb" button
1961, Bay of Pigs Invasion
1962, James Meredith enters Ol' Miss.
1963, 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
1963, Martin Luther King, "I have a dream" speech
1963, Saigon, Thich Quang Duc Self-Immolation
1963, Dallas, John F. Kennedy assassinated
1964, Beatles appear on Ed Sullivan Show (Audience 73 million)
1964, Mississippi Summer
1964, Berkeley Free Speech Movement
1967, San Francisco, Summer of Love
1968, Chicago, Days of Rage
1970, Kent State Massacre
1973, Spiro T. Agnew, Resigns
1974, Richard M. Nixon, Resigns
It would be fun to go digout the vanity fair for August 1955 and see
what their essay contest was then; ditto 1965, and 1975 ..
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